Something is Missing
by ShatteredHeartofJoy
Summary: Neville Longbottom is on his way to his first year at Hogwarts, unprepared for the next 7 years of his life. Especially since he's missing things. Among the list of things he's missing: a textbook, his toad, and his left arm. His main question: Will anyone accept him? Maybe Luna "Loony" Lovegood can give him the answer.


**Disclaimer: I don't own harry Potter or any affiliated settings/characters.**

**Well, it's me again. 3 Miss me? I hope so. Thanks for all your support, guys **** Read and review! **

**Set in present day. Date and point of view will be listed after each Chapter title! **

Chapter 1: Hide and Seek

_September 2007, Neville's POV_

I walked on to the train, feeling as if I had forgotten something extremely important. Gran had given me a list of items I needed to have, but I had somehow misplaced my list. She had dressed me in my plain black robes so that I didn't lose them before we got to Hogwarts.

She didn't believe I was a wizard until the letter came. Gran even doubted the letter; she thought they sent it to the wrong house. Yet, here I was on the Hogwarts Express.

Stumbling down the train's corridor, I looked for any empty compartments. I didn't want to sit next to people who I didn't know, for I would only receive strange stares of disapproval and pity. As I reached the end of the car that held mostly first years, I decided upon the compartment with only one inhabitant: a strange blonde girl wearing truly—different—glasses.

I grasped the handle and opened the door slightly. She didn't even turn her head as I poked my head in and banged it on the door frame in a clumsy fit.

"May-uh-may I sit here?" I stuttered, feeling incompetent, and ridiculous. After a moment, I saw her nod. Shutting the door behind me, I tripped over my robes and literally fell into the seat across from her. The girl giggled, and I pushed myself up with my right arm, looking sullen.

In a light and airy tone, she giggled, "The Wrackspurts are buzzing all around you." And that was when it all clicked. She was crazy.

But I didn't want to tease her. I knew what it was like to be teased, so I played along. "The what?"

"Wrackspurts. Tiny little creatures that float around your head," she said longingly, staring at my head through her large glasses. One lens was red, the other was blue. In her hand, she held a Quibbler in her hand.

I nodded as she spoke, almost enjoying the conversation. "I've never heard of them," he said quietly.

The girl stared at him for a moment before bluntly stating, "What happened?"

I paused, even more confused. "What do you mean?"

"What happened to your arm?" She looked at him, not wavering. I paused, used to the stares, but not such blunt questions. I looked down, blinking fast, breathing shallow. After rehearsing my response in case people asked, I was suddenly unsure of what to say or do. Her expression was direct and straight, she didn't seem ashamed at all. Eyes flicking from my empty robe sleeve to her face, I almost passed out for the fourth time today.

People never asked, at least, not at this age. Most had the dignity not to be so blunt; I was teased, but that was different. I was always ashamed of the lack of limb on my left side. It was a pathetic stub. A ridiculous, malfunctioning, shame-filled stub. I was used to it now, but that didn't stop the stares or the harsh words. It didn't stop the questions and the pranks. And it didn't stop my pride from crashing into the ground.

The girl cocked her head. "I think it's cool," she smiled sincerely at me, and I was confused. Many words described my missing arm: pathetic, dismal, pitiful, strange, different, lame. But certainly not cool. Was she kidding?

"I've been teased and taunted about it for years, and I don't need your sarcasm," I said defensively, tightening my one hand.

The girl's eyes widened and she removed her glasses. Her luminous blue eyes spun and sparkled as she looked at me. "I wasn't being mean. It's cool to be different!" Her voice went high, and she giggled, lying down on the seat. Cocking my head, I half-smiled. For the first time, I was okay with my stub.

"I'm Luna Lovegood," she laughed, looking at me as she let her head hang off the bench upside down. Her locks fell around her pale face, and I inhaled a bit of spit as I stared at her. Coughing like an idiot, I tried to compose myself.

"N-Neville Lon-g-gbottom," I choked, and she merely smiled at me, her eyes distant. After sputtering for another moment, I turned to see her staring at me still. Usually I would find it creepy, but something about her just made me smile. Maybe it was the way she was blunt and slightly oblivious; she was strange, just like me.

She swung herself into a lying position on her seat. As the awkward silence began to settle in, the compartment door swung open with a loud bang. A jolly, elder woman peered at us from behind her candy cart. Due to her short stature, she had to go up on her toes to smile at us.

"Any candy from the trolley, dears?" the lady asked with a toothy grin. Luna nodded dreamily and selected one of the candies I had seen but never dared to eat: Fizzing Wizzbees. After paying the lady with two silver sickles from her robe pocket, I dug into my pocket. Relieved that I had not lost my five silver sickles Gran had given me for the trolley, I selected Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and three chocolate frogs. Placing the money in her outstretched hand, she glanced at my missing arm for a moment, then the compartment door swung shut.

Luna had begun to dig her hand into the bag of Fizzing Wizbees. "Want one?" she said slowly, as if she was in slow motion. I shook my head firmly-Gran had fed those to me once. Never again. I opened a chocolate frog and it bounced out of the box. Dropping the wizard card, I pounced onto the place where it was, but not before it jumped out the window.

"Not again," I muttered as Luna giggled happily. Prying open the next one, I successfully shoved the entire frog in my mouth. Luna looked at me, smiling slightly as I tried to chew the entire frog. After a few moments of embarrassing choking and coughing, I swallowed the large mass of charmed chocolate. She was calmly chewing a Wizbee, and I paused for a moment. Grasping the last chocolate frog, I debated for a second before extending it out to her. Her eyes grew big, and she slowly took it.

With a smile I would never forget, she said, "Thanks, Neville." Behind those two words there seemed a million more. I didn't know why, but I felt like her eyes were trying to tell me something.

"No problem," I replied with an equally big smile. Behind my smile, I also had a million words and things to say, such as: _Thanks for caring, and thanks for accepting my differences. _

I attempted to unhook the clasp that held the box of flavored beans closed, but it was difficult considering I was holding it with my one hand. Placing the box in between my knees, I began to pick at the box with my five fingers. The box slipped as I twisted my face in anguish, leaving it there. I felt pathetic. Ridiculous. Absolutely absurd. I was pitiful. Staring out the window, I shut my eyes in frustration. Tossing the box away from me onto the ground, I stood up and exited the compartment.

There was a small _tap-tap-tap_ on the glass behind me. Turning slightly, my expression softened at what I saw. Luna was standing at the glass, cupping my box of Bertie Bott's. It was open. She opened the door, and held out the box, as if offering the box for my return to the compartment. My hand listened to something other than my brain as it reached out toward the box. Luna reached with her other hand toward me and intertwined her hand in mine.

"Don't go," she whispered, smiling softly. I tried to say something, but my mouth simply didn't work. It opened and closed with no sound coming out.

_Ribbit!_ I jumped out of my skin as a familiar sound came from behind Luna. She spun around, dropping my hand as my big, fat toad stared up at her from her seat. Giggling, Luna took Trevor gently in her hands. Spinning around, she collapsed onto her seat, lying across it. Lifting Trevor, she gently placed him on her face. I chuckled as she let out a laugh that made her toad-covered eyes twinkle.

The train lurched forward, and I sat down, ready to begin a conversation with my new friend. _A real friend_, I thought, smiling slightly.


End file.
